Coreopsis plant named ‘TNCORSO’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘TNCORSO’ characterized by daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter, inflorescences that are colored gold with a red eye, hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower, grass green foliage on short stems, flowering for the whole summer, a dense, medium mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

Latin name: Coreopsis verticillata hybrid.

Varietal denomination: ‘TNCORSO’.

Trademark designation: Sunstar™ Orange.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Coreopsis given the cultivar name ‘TNCORSO’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a controlled breeding program to produce hardy compact Coreopsis. The new cultivar originated from a planned cross of two proprietary unnamed Coreopsis verticillata hybrid seedlings. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous perennial to be grown for landscape and container use in a sunny site. The trademark designation is ‘Sunstar™ Orange’

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Lightning Bug’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,361, the new cultivar has a wider habit and a smaller red eye making the flower more gold.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Firefly’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,295, the new cultivar has a larger habit and a gold flower with a red eye rather than a yellow flower with a red eye.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristics in combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘TNCORSO’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter,     -   2. inflorescences that are colored gold with a red eye,     -   3. hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower,     -   4. grass green foliage on short stems,     -   5. flowering for the whole summer,     -   6. a dense, medium mounding habit, and     -   7. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a close up of a seven-month-old Coreopsis ‘TNCORSO’ growing in a one gallon pot in a warm greenhouse in July in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows seven-month-old plants of Coreopsis ‘TNCORSO’ growing in the ground in the trial field in early July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of nine-month-old specimens growing in the trial field in full sun in September in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.         -   Size.—45 cm wide and 39 cm tall to top of inflorescences.         -   Form.—Dense mound.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, stems root easily from stem cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending, well branched.         -   Size.—Grows to 30 cm tall and 6 mm wide.         -   Number of stems from the crown.—About 15.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branched, an average of 6 paired             lateral branches with secondary branches, branches are             opposite in arrangement, new lateral flowering branches are             continuously produced throughout the summer.         -   Internode length.—2 cm to 4 cm.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Brown 200A at bottom 3 cm blending to Yellow Green             147B. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Pinnately 3 to 5-parted into thread-like segments             (top leaves are linear).         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Size.—Grow to 8 cm wide and 8 cm long; the terminal segment             can grow to 60 mm long and 1 to 5 mm wide (usually linear),             laterals can grow to 78 mm long and 1.5 to 4 mm wide.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Petiole.—2 to 5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, Green 137A.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Venation.—Pinnate, visible main vein the same color as the             leaf on both sides.         -   Color.—Topside Green 137A, bottom side Yellow Green 147B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type             inflorescences.         -   Peduncle.—1.5 to 4 cm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Yellow             Green 147A.         -   Size.—Grows to 4 cm wide and 10 mm deep.         -   Immature (“flower bud”).—Globular, 4 mm wide and 5 mm deep,             Yellow Green 146A, glabrous.         -   Receptacle.—Disc shaped, 3 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep, Yellow             Green 146A.         -   Phyllaries.—In 2 series; first series closest to ray florets             in an area 7 mm deep and spreading 6 mm wide, 8 in number,             each 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, lanceolate, margin entire, tip             acute, glabrous on both sides, both sides Yellow Green 146A             on bottom ⅔ blending to Orange 28A on top ⅓; lower series in             an area 4 mm deep and 6 mm wide, 8 linear lobes, can grow 3             mm long and 0.5 mm wide, margin entire, tip acute, top side             glandular, bottom side glabrous, both sides Green 137A.         -   Self-cleaning.—Yes.         -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about a week on the             plant. -   Florets:     -   -   Type.—Composite.         -   Ray florets.—8 in number with no pistil or stamen, grows to             23 mm long, 9 mm wide, obovate, with the tip obtuse to 1 to             3 notched, margins entire, glabrous on both sides; topside             Yellow Orange 15B on top ½ blending to Red 53A on bottom ½,             bottom side Yellow 15B on top ¾ blending to Red 53A on             bottom ¼.         -   Disc.—Rounded 8 mm wide and becoming 4 mm deep with             maturity, Greyed Purple N186A.         -   Disc florets.—Tubular, with stamen and pistil, about 30 in             number, 7 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular; corolla 5 mm long,             5 lobed, tube Yellow 19A, lobes Greyed Purple 187A; pistil             1, 7 mm long, ovary 2 mm long, Green Yellow 1C, style 4 mm             long, with extruding, 2-branched stigma, stigma and style             Yellow Orange 22A; stamen 5, anthers 1 mm long, Greyed Brown             N199B, pollen none.         -   Bloom period.—June through frost in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—No noticeable.         -   Seed.—None seen.         -   Fertility.—Unknown. -   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants     grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are     known. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 